1 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:34,360 [Music] 2 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:37,290 greetings friends of us Riley welcome to 3 00:00:40,790 --> 00:00:38,730 our brand new episode of as an 4 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:40,800 astrobiologist a show where we celebrate 5 00:00:46,310 --> 00:00:44,010 science and celebrate science from home 6 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:46,320 I mean a centrosome and its program is 7 00:00:50,030 --> 00:00:47,970 made possible by contributions from the 8 00:00:52,850 --> 00:00:50,040 NASA Astrobiology program and a 9 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:52,860 non-profit bloom ramble space we live in 10 00:00:57,140 --> 00:00:55,050 unsettling times I think all of you like 11 00:00:59,509 --> 00:00:57,150 me are sheltering at home concerned 12 00:01:02,119 --> 00:00:59,519 about ourselves our families our loved 13 00:01:03,319 --> 00:01:02,129 ones and our broader community but 14 00:01:03,889 --> 00:01:03,329 perhaps for the first time in a long 15 00:01:06,279 --> 00:01:03,899 time 16 00:01:09,230 --> 00:01:06,289 his brother committee has included our 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:09,240 planet as no matter who you believe in 18 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:10,410 doesn't matter what the color of your 19 00:01:13,999 --> 00:01:11,910 skin is doesn't matter what language you 20 00:01:17,210 --> 00:01:14,009 speak we're all in this together 21 00:01:19,580 --> 00:01:17,220 floating in this blue marble in the 22 00:01:21,350 --> 00:01:19,590 vastness of space but there are two 23 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:21,360 elements of humanity that bring me hope 24 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:23,490 today one of which has been the 25 00:01:27,830 --> 00:01:26,250 incredible strength of compassion I've 26 00:01:30,230 --> 00:01:27,840 seen coming out from everybody around 27 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:30,240 the world that has been really uplifting 28 00:01:34,940 --> 00:01:32,850 the second has been the strength of the 29 00:01:37,010 --> 00:01:34,950 scientific voice in implementing change 30 00:01:39,770 --> 00:01:37,020 that would help us all overcome this 31 00:01:42,169 --> 00:01:39,780 pandemic and so it's in the spirit of 32 00:01:44,389 --> 00:01:42,179 science that we have this show and we 33 00:01:45,949 --> 00:01:44,399 are very excited today to host dr. 34 00:01:48,229 --> 00:01:45,959 calling all black from the University of 35 00:01:51,710 --> 00:01:48,239 Victoria to chat with us about the magic 36 00:01:54,260 --> 00:01:51,720 of his science but first it's time for 37 00:01:57,740 --> 00:01:54,270 the competition that was formerly known 38 00:02:00,440 --> 00:01:57,750 as the background who is last Friday my 39 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:00,450 wonderful colleague Mike Toyon sent up a 40 00:02:05,839 --> 00:02:03,090 picture on the Twitterverse about a 41 00:02:07,669 --> 00:02:05,849 astrobiology field location of interests 42 00:02:11,540 --> 00:02:07,679 Mike if you could put that up 43 00:02:15,050 --> 00:02:11,550 a lot of you got it all right it is 44 00:02:18,020 --> 00:02:15,060 indeed the clouds of the planet Venus 45 00:02:20,059 --> 00:02:18,030 Venus is the second closest planet to 46 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:20,069 our star a little bit further inland we 47 00:02:24,740 --> 00:02:22,890 are about the same size but all of its 48 00:02:27,020 --> 00:02:24,750 carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere 49 00:02:29,930 --> 00:02:27,030 as opposed to earth where a lot of ours 50 00:02:31,490 --> 00:02:29,940 is actually locked up into rocks this 51 00:02:33,830 --> 00:02:31,500 large amount of co2 in the atmosphere 52 00:02:35,839 --> 00:02:33,840 causes a massive greenhouse effect and 53 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:35,849 we'll talk about greenhouse effect on 54 00:02:40,610 --> 00:02:38,730 this show as well so huge shout out to 55 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:40,620 all of you who got it right but the 56 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:41,490 winner is 57 00:02:45,110 --> 00:02:44,310 laz who is the husband of rachel destroy 58 00:02:48,230 --> 00:02:45,120 your worlds 59 00:02:49,100 --> 00:02:48,240 that's tweeting at as at lhasa room 60 00:02:51,830 --> 00:02:49,110 terror 61 00:02:54,890 --> 00:02:51,840 so everybody is a winner this month the 62 00:02:57,110 --> 00:02:54,900 the winning material has always been our 63 00:02:59,210 --> 00:02:57,120 wonderful astrobiology graphics novel 64 00:03:02,000 --> 00:02:59,220 but i don't have a bunch of it at home 65 00:03:03,950 --> 00:03:02,010 here and so i will send it to you as 66 00:03:05,270 --> 00:03:03,960 soon as we can but but we have a 67 00:03:07,730 --> 00:03:05,280 surprise for you because they are all 68 00:03:10,460 --> 00:03:07,740 available for free online 69 00:03:13,580 --> 00:03:10,470 so Mike could you put up the URL of all 70 00:03:17,090 --> 00:03:13,590 the the location of these astrobiology 71 00:03:19,070 --> 00:03:17,100 graphics novel they're written by dr. 72 00:03:21,980 --> 00:03:19,080 Aaron grunts tall and they are fun to 73 00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:21,990 read for people of all ages so I highly 74 00:03:26,420 --> 00:03:24,930 recommend them we also give a huge shout 75 00:03:28,250 --> 00:03:26,430 out to all of you who's been tweeting 76 00:03:30,620 --> 00:03:28,260 our show this show could not be possible 77 00:03:33,050 --> 00:03:30,630 without your support and many of you are 78 00:03:35,570 --> 00:03:33,060 helping us advertise our programs to the 79 00:03:37,250 --> 00:03:35,580 broader online world and this one's 80 00:03:39,650 --> 00:03:37,260 ambassador of the month I'm very pleased 81 00:03:43,070 --> 00:03:39,660 to announce is birthing formaldehyde 82 00:03:45,710 --> 00:03:43,080 that is tweeting as at birth index face 83 00:03:47,210 --> 00:03:45,720 thank you so much birthing for your 84 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:47,220 support and thank you for all of you out 85 00:03:50,390 --> 00:03:48,510 there in the Twitter world and the 86 00:03:52,340 --> 00:03:50,400 online world or helping advertise our 87 00:03:54,710 --> 00:03:52,350 show if you have any questions during 88 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:54,720 this program for mice for our guest dr. 89 00:03:59,120 --> 00:03:56,730 Colin goal but please add them in the 90 00:04:01,880 --> 00:03:59,130 comments we're currently live on Signet 91 00:04:03,980 --> 00:04:01,890 org as well as facebook life and i wish 92 00:04:06,260 --> 00:04:03,990 you all a wonderful show so without 93 00:04:08,510 --> 00:04:06,270 further ado it's my great pleasure to 94 00:04:10,010 --> 00:04:08,520 introduce dr. Colin gold that was a 95 00:04:11,810 --> 00:04:10,020 professor of all things 96 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:11,820 atmospheres at the University of 97 00:04:16,729 --> 00:04:14,910 Victoria in Canada and a good friend of 98 00:04:21,710 --> 00:04:16,739 mine and Colin is wonderful to have you 99 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:21,720 on the program thank you for coming so 100 00:04:25,790 --> 00:04:24,090 I'd like to do in this program is turn 101 00:04:28,730 --> 00:04:25,800 back the wheels of time to begin with 102 00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:28,740 and try to figure out how what happened 103 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:31,110 to turn you into the wonderful scientist 104 00:04:37,490 --> 00:04:32,610 that you are today this is something in 105 00:04:40,090 --> 00:04:37,500 your childhood that occurred or high 106 00:04:42,060 --> 00:04:40,100 school on my favorite subject there were 107 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:42,070 would you uncuff a 108 00:04:48,330 --> 00:04:46,450 and physics oh yeah to video about 109 00:04:50,370 --> 00:04:48,340 looking at the world around us and try 110 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:50,380 to understand what was happening and why 111 00:04:56,220 --> 00:04:52,930 then of course physics with with using 112 00:04:59,340 --> 00:04:56,230 those though to pivot to do that and 113 00:05:01,620 --> 00:04:59,350 then I you know I also started I guess 114 00:05:03,930 --> 00:05:01,630 when I was a kid in the teenager to 115 00:05:06,090 --> 00:05:03,940 start liking going into the outdoor 116 00:05:09,050 --> 00:05:06,100 starting into the mountain for another 117 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:09,060 teenager I merely observing the world 118 00:05:22,410 --> 00:05:18,730 outside and then I think my world worked 119 00:05:24,150 --> 00:05:22,420 and then started feel I think that 120 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:24,160 chemistry and biology were quite 121 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:26,770 important to somewhere somewhere through 122 00:05:33,810 --> 00:05:30,370 my training and that got me to where I 123 00:05:36,330 --> 00:05:33,820 am now I think so so you you grew up in 124 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:36,340 the UK so you went to school in in in 125 00:05:39,270 --> 00:05:37,170 England 126 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:39,280 tell us a little bit about your your 127 00:05:43,110 --> 00:05:41,530 academic path like it's what I discover 128 00:05:45,150 --> 00:05:43,120 when I talk to pass for biologists it's 129 00:05:47,250 --> 00:05:45,160 not a single one of us has the same 130 00:05:48,750 --> 00:05:47,260 academic path that leads us to be an 131 00:05:55,170 --> 00:05:48,760 astrobiologist so I'm very curious about 132 00:06:00,090 --> 00:05:58,170 and then I metamorphose into a new 133 00:06:02,940 --> 00:06:00,100 degree they had they're called metrology 134 00:06:10,380 --> 00:06:02,950 and oceanography so I'm studying the 135 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:10,390 physics of the atmosphere oceanography 136 00:06:16,890 --> 00:06:14,290 and the last minute you know change your 137 00:06:20,250 --> 00:06:16,900 mind and I thought well all of it that I 138 00:06:23,070 --> 00:06:20,260 came into this at the beginning to try 139 00:06:27,750 --> 00:06:23,080 to understand and that was how did how 140 00:06:30,660 --> 00:06:27,760 how that world all work together and I 141 00:06:32,460 --> 00:06:30,670 don't you know when I have a teenage 142 00:06:40,140 --> 00:06:32,470 like that a little bit about something 143 00:06:43,350 --> 00:06:40,150 called Gaia hypothesis going into a PhD 144 00:06:48,030 --> 00:06:43,360 that turned out to be about being about 145 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:48,040 that that's there so it would shoot the 146 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:51,730 big to finally understand how everything 147 00:06:56,589 --> 00:06:53,530 work together on out 148 00:06:58,629 --> 00:06:56,599 that's the evolution of the atmosphere 149 00:07:00,309 --> 00:06:58,639 is an incredible topic because it's not 150 00:07:01,990 --> 00:07:00,319 you cannot understand the emotion in the 151 00:07:03,820 --> 00:07:02,000 physics of the atmosphere with physics 152 00:07:06,249 --> 00:07:03,830 alone right because biology has played 153 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:06,259 such an important role in shaping the 154 00:07:10,869 --> 00:07:08,810 planet we are today and so in your day 155 00:07:13,089 --> 00:07:10,879 to day life now you're a professor at 156 00:07:16,469 --> 00:07:13,099 the University of Victoria tell us about 157 00:07:21,580 --> 00:07:18,459 professor you know thought would be 158 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:21,590 about 15 but part of it is teaching and 159 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:25,250 that's a great opportunity to share the 160 00:07:32,559 --> 00:07:29,810 science and share the research lead view 161 00:07:34,119 --> 00:07:32,569 of how to view the world 12 162 00:07:37,749 --> 00:07:34,129 undergraduates and of course to my 163 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:37,759 spectacular students and and then doing 164 00:07:42,550 --> 00:07:40,610 research about atmospheric evolution and 165 00:07:49,300 --> 00:07:42,560 you know of course doing our part to 166 00:07:51,399 --> 00:07:49,310 keep the University bombing to keep 167 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:51,409 doing science and you realize it's not 168 00:07:56,499 --> 00:07:54,050 all doing research at a small part of my 169 00:07:59,499 --> 00:07:56,509 job right now you know everything else 170 00:08:02,260 --> 00:07:59,509 takes up the rest of the time but you 171 00:08:05,409 --> 00:08:02,270 really facilitating other people to have 172 00:08:07,659 --> 00:08:05,419 that understanding of how our world 173 00:08:10,059 --> 00:08:07,669 works from the point of view that I 174 00:08:12,399 --> 00:08:10,069 learned so what you're doing these days 175 00:08:14,230 --> 00:08:12,409 is you're using your background in 176 00:08:16,899 --> 00:08:14,240 physics and mathematics to write 177 00:08:19,149 --> 00:08:16,909 computer software that simulates the 178 00:08:26,950 --> 00:08:19,159 physics of the atmosphere on our planet 179 00:08:28,869 --> 00:08:26,960 right my words got the elements which is 180 00:08:31,689 --> 00:08:28,879 about the climate evolution of us and 181 00:08:33,969 --> 00:08:31,699 also about the chemical evolution of the 182 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:33,979 atmosphere so you know one of the things 183 00:08:39,579 --> 00:08:37,010 that we can do is if you take a column 184 00:08:41,170 --> 00:08:39,589 of the atmosphere we can calculate the 185 00:08:44,019 --> 00:08:41,180 relative fan first through that 186 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:44,029 arbitrarily well and you know if you 187 00:08:49,540 --> 00:08:46,250 know the atmosphere composition you can 188 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:49,550 you know physics is one of my expertise 189 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:51,290 and we can we can do that job really 190 00:08:56,710 --> 00:08:53,690 nicely but they do need to know you have 191 00:08:58,840 --> 00:08:56,720 a composition and we don't have good 192 00:09:00,759 --> 00:08:58,850 model but how that's changed through 193 00:09:01,460 --> 00:09:00,769 time that's one of the things that I 194 00:09:09,770 --> 00:09:01,470 know 195 00:09:13,430 --> 00:09:09,780 well I hope you understand how it the 196 00:09:14,990 --> 00:09:13,440 bold ah that's a fascinating topic and I 197 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:15,000 know we're gonna completely get there 198 00:09:18,670 --> 00:09:17,370 guaranteed so relative transfer of 199 00:09:20,750 --> 00:09:18,680 course is that is the mathematical 200 00:09:23,060 --> 00:09:20,760 formulation of energy from the Sun 201 00:09:24,380 --> 00:09:23,070 coming it and how the planet keeps it or 202 00:09:27,050 --> 00:09:24,390 reflects it out and that's all very 203 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:27,060 tractable with the tools of physics now 204 00:09:30,530 --> 00:09:29,010 if we go back in the early earth which 205 00:09:32,750 --> 00:09:30,540 is a time period that you and I both 206 00:09:35,420 --> 00:09:32,760 enjoy thinking about and by earlier that 207 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:35,430 no no not mean you know hundreds of 208 00:09:38,660 --> 00:09:36,930 thousands of years ago even million 209 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:38,670 years ago when the dinosaurs were around 210 00:09:44,780 --> 00:09:42,570 but billions was a B years ago when the 211 00:09:47,060 --> 00:09:44,790 planet looked nothing like it does today 212 00:09:49,940 --> 00:09:47,070 so Colin I wish you take us in the time 213 00:09:52,010 --> 00:09:49,950 machine dump us in this period of Earth 214 00:09:54,620 --> 00:09:52,020 called the Archaean before two and a 215 00:09:57,170 --> 00:09:54,630 half billion years ago if we had a 216 00:10:08,930 --> 00:09:57,180 breathing mask what would we see what 217 00:10:11,180 --> 00:10:08,940 would the world look like then and 20 218 00:10:13,910 --> 00:10:11,190 percent oxygen and some important place 219 00:10:19,460 --> 00:10:13,920 species and you know - species like 220 00:10:22,550 --> 00:10:19,470 carbon dioxide its water vapor today 221 00:10:26,150 --> 00:10:22,560 really biological products or at least 222 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:26,160 they're strongly modulated or controlled 223 00:10:31,250 --> 00:10:28,290 by the biology that we have to think of 224 00:10:34,010 --> 00:10:31,260 how that has changed to Earth history so 225 00:10:36,020 --> 00:10:34,020 then get back to the archaea well the 226 00:10:38,570 --> 00:10:36,030 thing that we know we didn't have in the 227 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:38,580 atmosphere with any oxygen you know the 228 00:10:45,490 --> 00:10:43,170 air we please today which is 20% America 229 00:10:49,250 --> 00:10:45,500 spends days in New York in was probably 230 00:10:53,510 --> 00:10:49,260 about one part per million in the 231 00:10:57,290 --> 00:10:53,520 atmosphere that's about the same methane 232 00:11:01,790 --> 00:10:57,300 is in the atmosphere today so why is 233 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:01,800 that well oxygen and biological product 234 00:11:08,180 --> 00:11:05,130 it made by oxygen producing 235 00:11:09,850 --> 00:11:08,190 photosynthesis which is the most amazing 236 00:11:13,750 --> 00:11:09,860 advanced metabolize 237 00:11:15,700 --> 00:11:13,760 this is where we sit send plants but 238 00:11:18,610 --> 00:11:15,710 we'd also see it in the Archaean inside 239 00:11:20,620 --> 00:11:18,620 in the bacteria eat photons from the Sun 240 00:11:25,030 --> 00:11:20,630 they get their energy down bets on the 241 00:11:27,370 --> 00:11:25,040 Sun split water use carbon dioxide make 242 00:11:30,610 --> 00:11:27,380 organic matter make energy and then 243 00:11:34,990 --> 00:11:30,620 oxygen is the toxic by-product because 244 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:35,000 that I came at the fair that wasn't much 245 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:38,210 of any end of the Archaean with where 246 00:11:44,830 --> 00:11:40,970 oxygen built up in the atmosphere has a 247 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:44,840 very fast transition to you probably 248 00:11:49,870 --> 00:11:47,090 percent levels of oxygen that we call 249 00:11:51,730 --> 00:11:49,880 the the great oxidation and after that 250 00:11:53,890 --> 00:11:51,740 the oxygen started rising there was the 251 00:12:00,940 --> 00:11:53,900 biggest climate up here all that we've 252 00:12:07,630 --> 00:12:00,950 ever seen right lows we moved into 253 00:12:09,430 --> 00:12:07,640 something called a snowball alphabet the 254 00:12:12,130 --> 00:12:09,440 poles of the earth and it gets bit 255 00:12:15,010 --> 00:12:12,140 colder and the ice lines start to move 256 00:12:17,050 --> 00:12:15,020 never near an equator and that's a bit 257 00:12:21,970 --> 00:12:17,060 like leaning back in a chair you lean 258 00:12:25,330 --> 00:12:21,980 back too far over and in the same way 259 00:12:26,890 --> 00:12:25,340 the ice line creased was the equator and 260 00:12:29,710 --> 00:12:26,900 then when you get into the mid latitudes 261 00:12:33,930 --> 00:12:29,720 we were affecting so much energy away 262 00:12:36,730 --> 00:12:33,940 that the whole planet get glaciated 263 00:12:40,150 --> 00:12:36,740 absolutely biggest climate catastrophe 264 00:12:45,790 --> 00:12:40,160 that we've experienced on earth that 265 00:12:48,070 --> 00:12:45,800 could happen so the the Archean was a 266 00:12:49,510 --> 00:12:48,080 time period where the Sun was fainter 267 00:12:52,090 --> 00:12:49,520 because we understand the physics of the 268 00:12:53,890 --> 00:12:52,100 Sun as well and so we can predict using 269 00:12:56,050 --> 00:12:53,900 the computer simulations that the Sun 270 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:56,060 was fainter back then and so to keep the 271 00:12:59,530 --> 00:12:57,650 planet warm they needed to be some 272 00:13:01,840 --> 00:12:59,540 greenhouse gases like methane you're 273 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:01,850 talking about in carbon dioxide so this 274 00:13:06,220 --> 00:13:04,130 rise of oxygen this oxygen can started 275 00:13:10,420 --> 00:13:06,230 eating up to this this methane which 276 00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:10,430 caused the car the greenhouse cover to 277 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:13,910 collapse and so hence the snowball earth 278 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:16,370 it's just and yet cities for about 279 00:13:19,870 --> 00:13:17,570 microbes didn't know what they were 280 00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:19,880 doing what they were doing right 281 00:13:22,509 --> 00:13:21,110 we know what we're doing with our 282 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:22,519 atmosphere and yet we're not doing 283 00:13:27,129 --> 00:13:24,050 anything which is driving me crazy 284 00:13:29,110 --> 00:13:27,139 so can we learn from our ancestors right 285 00:13:31,420 --> 00:13:29,120 you know I think one of the thing that 286 00:13:33,730 --> 00:13:31,430 we can you know we're in a time of 287 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:33,740 unprecedented environmental change at 288 00:13:41,379 --> 00:13:37,690 the moment the the late of change now 289 00:13:44,829 --> 00:13:41,389 because of human-caused carbon dioxide 290 00:13:47,079 --> 00:13:44,839 emissions is faster than almost anything 291 00:13:50,319 --> 00:13:47,089 I can think of in the geologic record 292 00:13:53,110 --> 00:13:50,329 the last good contender is 60 million 293 00:13:58,290 --> 00:13:53,120 years ago but anything of asked that 294 00:14:02,199 --> 00:13:58,300 we're seeing out paleo climate is really 295 00:14:05,019 --> 00:14:02,209 important in terms of understanding what 296 00:14:07,660 --> 00:14:05,029 can happen and what we've seen through 297 00:14:10,689 --> 00:14:07,670 the past it is long periods of climate 298 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:10,699 stability and then a period of rapid 299 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:15,970 change to different climates days yeah I 300 00:14:20,019 --> 00:14:18,050 was gonna say maybe Earth has seen 301 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:20,029 climates much different than today there 302 00:14:22,930 --> 00:14:21,410 was a point in the earth like you 303 00:14:24,490 --> 00:14:22,940 mentioned it was completely covered in 304 00:14:27,579 --> 00:14:24,500 ice there's been a time period where 305 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:27,589 there is no ice on the surface right we 306 00:14:31,870 --> 00:14:30,050 do have climate change we see that right 307 00:14:34,780 --> 00:14:31,880 through the geologic record if we look 308 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:34,790 at our planets we see them wear them and 309 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:37,310 whackier climate so we know that change 310 00:14:44,970 --> 00:14:40,970 happens so one thing that we do have now 311 00:14:47,199 --> 00:14:44,980 which is a very interesting even though 312 00:14:49,269 --> 00:14:47,209 evolutionary innovation of Farr's we 313 00:14:53,170 --> 00:14:49,279 know is that we actually know what we're 314 00:14:55,389 --> 00:14:53,180 doing so my colleague David Grinspoon 315 00:14:58,960 --> 00:14:55,399 called the planetary change of the 316 00:15:00,939 --> 00:14:58,970 Fourth Kind if we actually know what 317 00:15:03,100 --> 00:15:00,949 we're doing and we can make choices to 318 00:15:07,389 --> 00:15:03,110 change it and what that is going to 319 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:07,399 require is a collective action and you 320 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:09,050 know these are very difficult times at 321 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:10,850 the moment but something that gives me 322 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:13,610 great hope is seeing us taking 323 00:15:18,819 --> 00:15:16,250 collective action we can see those 324 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:18,829 effect we can see something that could 325 00:15:23,499 --> 00:15:21,050 hurt ourselves hurt our family 326 00:15:26,230 --> 00:15:23,509 hurt members back many and we're taking 327 00:15:28,510 --> 00:15:26,240 action and climate change is just the 328 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:28,520 same we need to take the kind 329 00:15:35,170 --> 00:15:31,490 collective action that we're taking now 330 00:15:36,670 --> 00:15:35,180 to slow down this epidemic and we need 331 00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:36,680 to take that kind of collective action 332 00:15:42,820 --> 00:15:39,740 to slow down climate change and we can 333 00:15:45,370 --> 00:15:42,830 do that what happening now has shown 334 00:15:47,860 --> 00:15:45,380 that we can do that kind of collective 335 00:15:49,660 --> 00:15:47,870 action I couldn't agree more 336 00:15:52,780 --> 00:15:49,670 and in fact if you if you kept the 337 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:52,790 climate change action going in you know 338 00:15:57,100 --> 00:15:54,410 I'm exaggerating obviously here in 339 00:15:58,510 --> 00:15:57,110 billions of years in the future as I 340 00:15:59,890 --> 00:15:58,520 mentioned the Sun in the past was 341 00:16:08,440 --> 00:15:59,900 fainter is actually getting brighter 342 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:08,450 earth might turn into a Venus right I'll 343 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:10,730 go back to the story of my academic path 344 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:15,650 here if I worked on earth evolution to 345 00:16:20,590 --> 00:16:17,570 in my PhD I worked on the problem of the 346 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:20,600 great oxidation and then we we got to 347 00:16:26,350 --> 00:16:23,570 the you get the problem Bob you've only 348 00:16:27,970 --> 00:16:26,360 got a sample size of one and this was 349 00:16:36,310 --> 00:16:27,980 really pointed out to me by one of my 350 00:16:38,530 --> 00:16:36,320 PhD advisor Andy Watson what he had 351 00:16:40,330 --> 00:16:38,540 training in planetary science and the 352 00:16:43,180 --> 00:16:40,340 question of astrobiology what to 353 00:16:45,130 --> 00:16:43,190 understand earth better we need to look 354 00:16:46,930 --> 00:16:45,140 at the other planets and of course the 355 00:16:49,570 --> 00:16:46,940 way we can understand the other planets 356 00:16:54,610 --> 00:16:49,580 I understand the earth bit sir it's a 357 00:16:59,020 --> 00:16:54,620 beautiful cycle there so bigger is earth 358 00:17:01,840 --> 00:16:59,030 in the distant future say you know this 359 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:01,850 wonderful habitable planet we've taken 360 00:17:06,100 --> 00:17:03,710 most of the carbon dioxide and not 361 00:17:08,140 --> 00:17:06,110 better pin marks biology has been really 362 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:08,150 important in doing that in building 363 00:17:14,949 --> 00:17:11,450 carbonate rocks but you get to a point 364 00:17:17,199 --> 00:17:14,959 where they think all of that only 365 00:17:19,930 --> 00:17:17,209 greenhouse happens if you're getting 366 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:19,940 more energy from the Sun then you can 367 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:22,850 possibly get out some atmosphere like a 368 00:17:31,590 --> 00:17:25,970 strapless it's like turning the 369 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:34,360 eventually that bathtub can overflow and 370 00:17:38,410 --> 00:17:36,530 that's gonna happen on earth 371 00:17:40,510 --> 00:17:38,420 you know maybe 500 billion a year the 372 00:17:42,790 --> 00:17:40,520 billion years and that is really going 373 00:17:45,610 --> 00:17:42,800 to be the end of the year is the world 374 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:45,620 the month the apocalypse is going to be 375 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:46,970 a ban on my greenhouse 376 00:17:55,420 --> 00:17:49,970 lime kilm infernos and what that means 377 00:17:58,630 --> 00:17:55,430 if all we're gonna start warming and 378 00:18:01,210 --> 00:17:58,640 then all of the oceans will eventually 379 00:18:03,070 --> 00:18:01,220 evaporate into the atmosphere and then 380 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:03,080 the greenhouse effect is going to be so 381 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:06,110 strong then it's going to bake off all 382 00:18:11,140 --> 00:18:08,690 the carbon that stored in limestone at 383 00:18:13,990 --> 00:18:11,150 the moment then all the carbon dioxide 384 00:18:16,210 --> 00:18:14,000 in the atmosphere - and then other than 385 00:18:19,900 --> 00:18:16,220 a couple of hundred billion a year will 386 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:19,910 lose the water vapor by hydrogen escape 387 00:18:26,860 --> 00:18:22,490 to space and then we'll end up like 388 00:18:29,530 --> 00:18:26,870 peanuts wow that's that's quite the the 389 00:18:30,910 --> 00:18:29,540 future I'm so those of you who are 390 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:30,920 watching it please don't forget you can 391 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:32,570 ask questions so if you want to Facebook 392 00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:35,330 live just use the comments down below to 393 00:18:39,550 --> 00:18:36,710 ask your questions if you're on Twitter 394 00:18:41,710 --> 00:18:39,560 please use hash tag ask Astro bio and if 395 00:18:43,870 --> 00:18:41,720 you're watching on say canet please use 396 00:18:45,790 --> 00:18:43,880 the chat there to ask questions and it's 397 00:18:47,530 --> 00:18:45,800 a wonderful conversation so this is a 398 00:18:49,750 --> 00:18:47,540 Shabbat astrobiology college I was 399 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:49,760 wondering when did you discover the the 400 00:18:52,990 --> 00:18:51,530 discipline of astrobiology and how did 401 00:18:56,530 --> 00:18:53,000 you tailor your science to that 402 00:18:59,730 --> 00:18:56,540 discipline like if someone during my PhD 403 00:19:01,750 --> 00:18:59,740 I found it by accident because I was 404 00:19:04,050 --> 00:19:01,760 working on the early Earth and there 405 00:19:06,820 --> 00:19:04,060 wasn't that much community in the UK 406 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:06,830 doing that at that time it wasn't very 407 00:19:12,850 --> 00:19:09,530 well funded but it was getting funded 408 00:19:16,450 --> 00:19:12,860 through the nasa expulsion astrobiology 409 00:19:19,030 --> 00:19:16,460 programs constant session the people I 410 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:19,040 was talking to work with people in the 411 00:19:24,010 --> 00:19:21,410 US fund it out of the house of the 412 00:19:27,970 --> 00:19:24,020 astrobiology program there that's one 413 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:27,980 way to talk about my my science and you 414 00:19:33,370 --> 00:19:31,370 know after value meetings including the 415 00:19:37,390 --> 00:19:33,380 anthropology graduate conference which 416 00:19:40,300 --> 00:19:37,400 is I think why yes enjoy and there's 417 00:19:43,990 --> 00:19:40,310 just a great community an amazingly 418 00:19:46,990 --> 00:19:44,000 community of people working on these 419 00:19:49,630 --> 00:19:47,000 questions we understand early Earth and 420 00:19:51,340 --> 00:19:49,640 all of people 421 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:51,350 it's like watching a feature-length 422 00:19:58,230 --> 00:19:54,110 movie loveland just taking a snapshot of 423 00:20:00,940 --> 00:19:58,240 now saying that the habitable planet 424 00:20:02,770 --> 00:20:00,950 sorry I like you I say I study the early 425 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:02,780 Earth and I want to discuss them like my 426 00:20:06,550 --> 00:20:04,490 science the public didn't tell me like 427 00:20:08,470 --> 00:20:06,560 who cares about your list why is that 428 00:20:10,150 --> 00:20:08,480 even important and so the answer is 429 00:20:12,910 --> 00:20:10,160 always in the astrobiology field because 430 00:20:15,850 --> 00:20:12,920 the early Earth is the most study wheel 431 00:20:17,500 --> 00:20:15,860 planet that we know is alive that's not 432 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:17,510 our modern world still share these 433 00:20:26,380 --> 00:20:24,890 thoughts so many different samples of 434 00:20:28,420 --> 00:20:26,390 water planet could be like and I 435 00:20:30,270 --> 00:20:28,430 actually think in the astrobiology 436 00:20:32,980 --> 00:20:30,280 community there's a little bit of a 437 00:20:36,190 --> 00:20:32,990 tendency to simplify this is what the 438 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:36,200 Archaean was like this is what modernist 439 00:20:44,020 --> 00:20:40,010 it's like actually there is smorgasbord 440 00:20:48,430 --> 00:20:44,030 of climate and Composition that we don't 441 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:48,440 really understand very well when were 442 00:20:58,330 --> 00:20:56,330 able to observe other planets but we've 443 00:21:01,180 --> 00:20:58,340 got really good instruments to look at 444 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:01,190 the atmospheres of a many distant 445 00:21:06,670 --> 00:21:03,370 exoplanets we'll find that our 446 00:21:08,590 --> 00:21:06,680 imagination was not sufficient for what 447 00:21:12,370 --> 00:21:08,600 a planet could be like and what a 448 00:21:14,410 --> 00:21:12,380 habitable planet could be like so if you 449 00:21:16,930 --> 00:21:14,420 had extraterrestrial astronomers they 450 00:21:19,810 --> 00:21:16,940 were looking at Earth today they were 451 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:19,820 also looking at Earth a very very long 452 00:21:23,260 --> 00:21:21,770 time ago in the Archaean period what 453 00:21:25,030 --> 00:21:23,270 would be the differences that they would 454 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:25,040 see and how could they tell that the 455 00:21:36,670 --> 00:21:34,370 planet was alive the plane only to tell 456 00:21:40,060 --> 00:21:36,680 that the earth was alive today would be 457 00:21:41,530 --> 00:21:40,070 to look at the radio wave leakage that 458 00:21:44,620 --> 00:21:41,540 we've got we've been broadcasting 459 00:21:46,870 --> 00:21:44,630 television and baby home for the last 50 460 00:21:49,210 --> 00:21:46,880 years and who knows what other things 461 00:21:50,830 --> 00:21:49,220 we're with broadcasting accidentally you 462 00:21:51,790 --> 00:21:50,840 could listening to that you could just 463 00:21:55,990 --> 00:21:51,800 either 464 00:21:57,940 --> 00:21:56,000 Ponyo antenna a planet and watch the six 465 00:22:02,060 --> 00:21:57,950 o'clock news so that would be a good way 466 00:22:07,710 --> 00:22:04,649 not an option you've got to look at the 467 00:22:11,549 --> 00:22:07,720 atmospheric composition you know the 468 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:11,559 atmosphere is really part of the earth 469 00:22:16,020 --> 00:22:13,690 that's a bit of theory that dates to the 470 00:22:19,529 --> 00:22:16,030 Russian Jew chemist urbanovsky might 471 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:19,539 think about a hundred years ago and if 472 00:22:24,330 --> 00:22:21,970 the by Affairs having living part and 473 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:24,340 that you and I and the plant sitting 474 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:25,570 behind me 475 00:22:31,820 --> 00:22:27,970 blue the nonliving part in the 476 00:22:34,409 --> 00:22:31,830 atmosphere is part of our biosphere and 477 00:22:37,950 --> 00:22:34,419 change the atmospheric composition we 478 00:22:40,590 --> 00:22:37,960 put it into disequilibrium and that was 479 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:40,600 a very important observation by James 480 00:22:45,930 --> 00:22:42,970 Lovelock when he was working on the Mars 481 00:22:50,430 --> 00:22:45,940 program that you can look at planetary 482 00:22:51,870 --> 00:22:50,440 atmosphere and say like that okay that 483 00:22:54,779 --> 00:22:51,880 was just body chemistry 484 00:22:56,789 --> 00:22:54,789 you look at Martha it's like pretty here 485 00:22:59,549 --> 00:22:56,799 thermo chemical equilibrium it's just 486 00:23:02,940 --> 00:22:59,559 like if you left it's a very long time 487 00:23:03,539 --> 00:23:02,950 how it would be but you look it's so 488 00:23:06,390 --> 00:23:03,549 weird 489 00:23:10,169 --> 00:23:06,400 either we have methane that about a part 490 00:23:12,659 --> 00:23:10,179 per million when we got 20% oxygen and 491 00:23:14,399 --> 00:23:12,669 that's the only last 10 years if you 492 00:23:17,549 --> 00:23:14,409 just left everything alone there's gonna 493 00:23:20,279 --> 00:23:17,559 be a constant saw of both those gases 494 00:23:23,970 --> 00:23:20,289 and that source is like do you look at 495 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:23,980 the atmospheric composition and then you 496 00:23:31,470 --> 00:23:28,090 think can we explain it any why other 497 00:23:33,990 --> 00:23:31,480 than oh yeah by the action of Mike and 498 00:23:37,649 --> 00:23:34,000 if you can oh well and good and it not 499 00:23:40,529 --> 00:23:37,659 well that is your tentative detection of 500 00:23:43,350 --> 00:23:40,539 life on your planet but all about 501 00:23:45,870 --> 00:23:43,360 looking at the atmosphere so we can't 502 00:23:47,850 --> 00:23:45,880 think of modern earth independently of 503 00:23:55,980 --> 00:23:47,860 life like earth would look nothing like 504 00:23:58,080 --> 00:23:55,990 it does today with that life look out 505 00:23:59,110 --> 00:23:58,090 the window you're seeing the evidence of 506 00:24:01,210 --> 00:23:59,120 knife right now 507 00:24:02,950 --> 00:24:01,220 you know I'm looking at that you're the 508 00:24:06,250 --> 00:24:02,960 plant in my garden 509 00:24:09,310 --> 00:24:06,260 you know I be atmosphere with it 510 00:24:12,610 --> 00:24:09,320 competition today is all about life you 511 00:24:14,830 --> 00:24:12,620 know absolutely no idea what earth would 512 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:14,840 be like today whatever but there would 513 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:18,410 be like without life so all the gases 514 00:24:22,540 --> 00:24:19,730 that we breathe that our inner 515 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:22,550 atmosphere completely cycles well not 516 00:24:34,030 --> 00:24:25,850 all but most are completely cycled by 517 00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:34,040 biology we don't think I had anything to 518 00:24:40,330 --> 00:24:37,130 do with them oxygen we talked about 519 00:24:42,430 --> 00:24:40,340 either the carbon cycle where all life 520 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:42,440 is you know its carbon has got a 521 00:24:47,350 --> 00:24:44,570 carbon-based metabolism so we're using 522 00:24:49,420 --> 00:24:47,360 co2 we're putting it out again the 523 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:49,430 oxygen of course is linked in with that 524 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:52,490 carbon cycle and even the nitrogen you 525 00:24:57,250 --> 00:24:54,050 know something that both you and I have 526 00:24:59,950 --> 00:24:57,260 worked on we we know they're the cycle 527 00:25:02,770 --> 00:24:59,960 of long term fixing of that nitrogen by 528 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:02,780 biology of the nutrient and then some of 529 00:25:08,310 --> 00:25:05,450 that fix nitrogen get can get cycled 530 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:08,320 through the box and powd again 531 00:25:12,730 --> 00:25:10,610 absolutely had the thing have got that 532 00:25:15,550 --> 00:25:12,740 I've got a fingerprint of biology 533 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:15,560 involved and that's why I find it so 534 00:25:18,100 --> 00:25:17,210 interesting because it's it's so 535 00:25:20,110 --> 00:25:18,110 complicated 536 00:25:22,180 --> 00:25:20,120 and yet so revealing because I think 537 00:25:24,370 --> 00:25:22,190 that like you mentioned so the earth has 538 00:25:26,980 --> 00:25:24,380 changed over time and studying it over 539 00:25:29,290 --> 00:25:26,990 time gives us a snapshot of a different 540 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:29,300 planet that could host life but that's 541 00:25:35,650 --> 00:25:31,730 nothing compared to the diversity of 542 00:25:37,570 --> 00:25:35,660 planets are out there so as as you know 543 00:25:39,310 --> 00:25:37,580 they've been thousands of planets that 544 00:25:42,030 --> 00:25:39,320 have been discovered outside our solar 545 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:42,040 system what do you think the future of 546 00:25:49,660 --> 00:25:44,510 exoplanet science and early Earth 547 00:25:51,850 --> 00:25:49,670 science have in store you know looking a 548 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:51,860 long way forward when we got instruments 549 00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:53,930 where we can really start to probe the 550 00:25:59,620 --> 00:25:57,410 atmospheres of exoplanets that is going 551 00:26:04,600 --> 00:25:59,630 to be a revolution in our understanding 552 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:04,610 we're going to find I mean that's the 553 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:06,530 emphasis in the astral body community 554 00:26:10,259 --> 00:26:09,050 are we going to find light are we going 555 00:26:14,519 --> 00:26:10,269 to find a 556 00:26:16,919 --> 00:26:14,529 another earth-like planet and the fields 557 00:26:18,570 --> 00:26:16,929 gonna go up at some point and people are 558 00:26:20,459 --> 00:26:18,580 gonna start to big how can we 559 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:20,469 characterize the whole range of 560 00:26:25,739 --> 00:26:24,369 atmospheres about the planet I've got no 561 00:26:30,539 --> 00:26:25,749 idea what we're gonna find but it's 562 00:26:32,219 --> 00:26:30,549 gonna be fascinating strength in within 563 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:32,229 my career I know some of my colleagues 564 00:26:38,669 --> 00:26:34,690 are working really hard to make sure 565 00:26:42,149 --> 00:26:38,679 that we do and then we're gonna see a 566 00:26:44,430 --> 00:26:42,159 diversity of planets and we can start to 567 00:26:46,919 --> 00:26:44,440 see one of the property the planetary 568 00:26:50,869 --> 00:26:46,929 atmospheres and then one of the things 569 00:26:53,789 --> 00:26:50,879 we'll see is what is the frequency of 570 00:26:56,579 --> 00:26:53,799 planets that we think have life on we'll 571 00:26:58,769 --> 00:26:56,589 find out whether life is a rare 572 00:27:02,159 --> 00:26:58,779 phenomenon or whether it's a common 573 00:27:04,979 --> 00:27:02,169 phenomenon and that new bit of 574 00:27:07,109 --> 00:27:04,989 understanding I think it's gonna really 575 00:27:08,069 --> 00:27:07,119 change the way we think about absolutely 576 00:27:10,339 --> 00:27:08,079 has nothing 577 00:27:12,329 --> 00:27:10,349 I completely agree I completely agree 578 00:27:15,180 --> 00:27:12,339 yeah the question of whether our Laura 579 00:27:16,499 --> 00:27:15,190 where we are in the universe is the 580 00:27:19,049 --> 00:27:16,509 biggest questions we could ask ourselves 581 00:27:21,719 --> 00:27:19,059 as a species but beyond science so 582 00:27:23,399 --> 00:27:21,729 you're an avid outdoorsman I think 583 00:27:25,529 --> 00:27:23,409 that's a way you can clear your head 584 00:27:28,109 --> 00:27:25,539 from from from academics and also get 585 00:27:29,669 --> 00:27:28,119 inspired to do science based on what you 586 00:27:35,379 --> 00:27:29,679 see what are some of the outdoors 587 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:37,779 get out into the outside I think it's uh 588 00:27:55,580 --> 00:27:52,240 quiet to time enjoy beautiful places it 589 00:27:59,630 --> 00:27:55,590 even my my long-term hobby have been 590 00:28:05,810 --> 00:28:03,020 each other around the world you know my 591 00:28:07,910 --> 00:28:05,820 live in the Pacific Northwest at the 592 00:28:09,770 --> 00:28:07,920 moment so the Olympic mountain the thumb 593 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:09,780 that I love you know I go to the Cascade 594 00:28:16,610 --> 00:28:13,410 sometimes and either mountains here I'd 595 00:28:19,490 --> 00:28:16,620 like to you know like a good backpacking 596 00:28:23,060 --> 00:28:19,500 I can be self-sufficient four or five 597 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:23,070 days and get me out there and listen to 598 00:28:27,770 --> 00:28:25,770 the mama call to each other from 599 00:28:31,190 --> 00:28:27,780 different mountain peaks watch the Bears 600 00:28:35,300 --> 00:28:31,200 wonder path and just enjoy that that 601 00:28:37,450 --> 00:28:35,310 quiet time outside and then living in 602 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:37,460 Victoria where I do 603 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:40,290 beautify to get outside is it a sea 604 00:28:45,470 --> 00:28:42,330 kayak where we've got a beautiful 605 00:28:47,810 --> 00:28:45,480 coastline it's I live 15 minutes from 606 00:28:51,830 --> 00:28:47,820 the beach in four different directions I 607 00:28:54,650 --> 00:28:51,840 think so we can get out kayaking on the 608 00:28:57,890 --> 00:28:54,660 coast of British Columbia here so 609 00:29:00,910 --> 00:28:57,900 there's very good opportunities to be an 610 00:29:02,780 --> 00:29:00,920 explorer is incredibly productive 611 00:29:06,770 --> 00:29:02,790 ecosystem here in the Pacific Northwest 612 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:06,780 one where we can still see what it was 613 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:10,410 like before them you know the European 614 00:29:17,620 --> 00:29:13,170 you get into what it was like before the 615 00:29:22,130 --> 00:29:17,630 European invasion here and see what an 616 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:22,140 almost 15 environment was like and a 617 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:23,490 beauty of the the scientific background 618 00:29:28,460 --> 00:29:26,130 is Eakins read the landscape right and 619 00:29:30,050 --> 00:29:28,470 you can understand mountain here why not 620 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:30,060 what does the lake here why not what is 621 00:29:34,790 --> 00:29:32,970 this it's not this rock is all polished 622 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:34,800 and so on so that's Ghostly really 623 00:29:44,570 --> 00:29:42,210 rewarding yeah with anyone you know from 624 00:29:47,150 --> 00:29:44,580 another bunch of environmental sciences 625 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:47,160 and if I get to hear how they understand 626 00:29:52,910 --> 00:29:50,010 the world to that the way that a really 627 00:29:54,380 --> 00:29:52,920 great pleasure wonderful I have this 628 00:29:55,970 --> 00:29:54,390 conversation forever Colin this is 629 00:29:57,470 --> 00:29:55,980 really wonderful but we're gonna we're 630 00:29:59,360 --> 00:29:57,480 gonna have to end here and start one of 631 00:30:02,240 --> 00:29:59,370 my favorite parts of this show which is 632 00:30:03,500 --> 00:30:02,250 the Q&A so thank you all for those of 633 00:30:05,340 --> 00:30:03,510 you have sending questions there's a 634 00:30:08,730 --> 00:30:05,350 bunch I hope we can address all of the 635 00:30:11,129 --> 00:30:08,740 but we'll do our best so the so here we 636 00:30:14,850 --> 00:30:11,139 go so sending in your questions and the 637 00:30:16,590 --> 00:30:14,860 first question is by Graham LA my 638 00:30:19,289 --> 00:30:16,600 co-host here at Aspen astrobiologists 639 00:30:22,289 --> 00:30:19,299 who asks on Twitter if life is common in 640 00:30:24,509 --> 00:30:22,299 the universe how likely do you think we 641 00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:24,519 are to find signs of alien life bio 642 00:30:38,519 --> 00:30:26,110 signatures or technical signatures in 643 00:30:40,529 --> 00:30:38,529 the near future works on geologic time 644 00:30:44,159 --> 00:30:40,539 I'm going to call the near future within 645 00:30:45,690 --> 00:30:44,169 my lifetime and I think that's all going 646 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:45,700 to depend on what we invest in the 647 00:30:51,419 --> 00:30:49,570 instrument to to detect these things so 648 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:51,429 if we're if we're willing to detect 649 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:54,610 invest in East once then we've got a 650 00:30:59,369 --> 00:30:57,370 fairly good chance of finding finding 651 00:31:02,460 --> 00:30:59,379 something I think life thought would be 652 00:31:05,279 --> 00:31:02,470 fairly common I'm going to guess what in 653 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:05,289 a one in a hundred planets might have 654 00:31:11,009 --> 00:31:07,570 life I'm going to call that comment so 655 00:31:12,990 --> 00:31:11,019 if we can sum up you hundred planets I 656 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:13,000 think we've got a very good chance I 657 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:16,090 love that optimism it's awesome 658 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:18,970 next question is from Brant detering who 659 00:31:24,029 --> 00:31:21,490 asks on Facebook what would the 660 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:24,039 indicators of life on Earth be from the 661 00:31:29,730 --> 00:31:27,490 perspective of an exoplanet absolutely 662 00:31:32,730 --> 00:31:29,740 so if we look at us right now we will 663 00:31:36,899 --> 00:31:32,740 see that at equilibrium so we talked 664 00:31:39,509 --> 00:31:36,909 about the idea of the oxygen and methane 665 00:31:51,060 --> 00:31:39,519 together we could also as I said look at 666 00:31:53,070 --> 00:31:51,070 the radio the outer solar system 667 00:31:56,700 --> 00:31:53,080 it did a couple of gravity assists 668 00:32:00,180 --> 00:31:56,710 around the earth and so the Cassini not 669 00:32:02,430 --> 00:32:00,190 Galileo and those experiments opposed by 670 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:02,440 Carl Sagan which was to turn the 671 00:32:10,259 --> 00:32:06,610 instruments on and and pointman on earth 672 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:10,269 and say can we detect life on Earth 673 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:12,610 cymaspace parked and there's a beautiful 674 00:32:15,910 --> 00:32:15,610 paper in the building I think that you 675 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:15,920 know 676 00:32:20,190 --> 00:32:18,050 to where where Carl Sagan's they will be 677 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:20,200 a week and it may be a feeble 678 00:32:27,150 --> 00:32:23,570 disequilibrium very cool yeah that's a 679 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:27,160 phenomenal paper the next question is by 680 00:32:32,710 --> 00:32:29,690 astrobiology Club on Twitter who tweet 681 00:32:34,540 --> 00:32:32,720 us at Astro bio Club and ask the 682 00:32:36,490 --> 00:32:34,550 following even that our industrial 683 00:32:37,300 --> 00:32:36,500 activities are altering the makeup of 684 00:32:39,730 --> 00:32:37,310 the planet 685 00:32:41,740 --> 00:32:39,740 you think the effects of a global 686 00:32:43,690 --> 00:32:41,750 pandemic like the one we're having now 687 00:32:46,030 --> 00:32:43,700 will be something that future will 688 00:32:50,650 --> 00:32:46,040 feature people will see in the rock 689 00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:50,660 record you know I don't think what we 690 00:32:56,230 --> 00:32:54,110 say now it's big not to be preserved in 691 00:32:59,170 --> 00:32:56,240 the geologic record it's a it's gonna be 692 00:33:02,670 --> 00:32:59,180 a very important event from our society 693 00:33:05,710 --> 00:33:02,680 and I think there going to be a lot of 694 00:33:07,390 --> 00:33:05,720 societal change after this right other 695 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:07,400 things you not to see in the geologic 696 00:33:13,690 --> 00:33:11,330 record I think humans overall we're now 697 00:33:17,890 --> 00:33:13,700 imprinting something that that will be 698 00:33:20,860 --> 00:33:17,900 in the geologic record but a little bit 699 00:33:23,380 --> 00:33:20,870 of a trying to now project to me I don't 700 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:23,390 think it's gonna be able to be preserved 701 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:28,730 in the logs yeah I agree with that 702 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:30,770 thank you um the next question is by 703 00:33:36,970 --> 00:33:34,210 andrew planet on Signet who writes i 704 00:33:39,370 --> 00:33:36,980 wonder if the carbon dioxide clouds of 705 00:33:41,830 --> 00:33:39,380 Venus as an example would tend to rule 706 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:41,840 out life initially evolving on earth in 707 00:33:46,300 --> 00:33:44,510 the same atmospheric circumstances in 708 00:33:48,250 --> 00:33:46,310 favor of atmospheric water vapor on 709 00:33:50,190 --> 00:33:48,260 earth as the main greenhouse gas as a 710 00:34:00,250 --> 00:33:50,200 precursor to life evolving here 711 00:34:04,300 --> 00:34:00,260 initially we have the standoff in the 712 00:34:08,950 --> 00:34:04,310 Hadean Eon which is the beautiful nation 713 00:34:11,710 --> 00:34:08,960 where now you know the planet it would 714 00:34:14,140 --> 00:34:11,720 not be hard in a transient battle a 715 00:34:16,890 --> 00:34:14,150 greenhouse and then cooled from there 716 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:16,900 we'd have had a a water vapor atmosphere 717 00:34:23,650 --> 00:34:20,690 which would have then condensed out to 718 00:34:26,589 --> 00:34:23,660 form an atmosphere which i think is 719 00:34:29,529 --> 00:34:26,599 gonna be not different amount you know 720 00:34:32,079 --> 00:34:29,539 gonna be a hydrological cycle I probably 721 00:34:36,460 --> 00:34:32,089 won't be carbon dioxide cloud that just 722 00:34:39,969 --> 00:34:36,470 probably wasn't cold enough for that so 723 00:34:42,309 --> 00:34:39,979 we started our math better not to 724 00:34:45,339 --> 00:34:42,319 distance about maybe warmer maybe a 725 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:45,349 stone between health effect but you know 726 00:34:51,219 --> 00:34:48,970 we've been there different planets have 727 00:34:53,289 --> 00:34:51,229 cycles of different gases we have a 728 00:34:56,589 --> 00:34:53,299 hydrological cycle on earth because of 729 00:35:00,390 --> 00:34:56,599 the temperature where that on Mars which 730 00:35:03,519 --> 00:35:00,400 is much colder there carbon dioxide 731 00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:03,529 condensation and and then if you have to 732 00:35:07,690 --> 00:35:04,779 tighten you can get anything 733 00:35:10,210 --> 00:35:07,700 condensation but we're here on earth 734 00:35:12,279 --> 00:35:10,220 into them where water is the main 735 00:35:16,150 --> 00:35:12,289 species which we can evaporate and 736 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:16,160 condensed Thank You Colin an expression 737 00:35:21,339 --> 00:35:18,650 is by sir hatt's F Jen who asks on 738 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:21,349 Signet is there any possibility or idea 739 00:35:25,809 --> 00:35:23,210 occurring life that could have started 740 00:35:28,210 --> 00:35:25,819 in Earth's atmosphere like we think 741 00:35:34,779 --> 00:35:28,220 today or Venus atmosphere that could 742 00:35:36,759 --> 00:35:34,789 potentially sustain life you know the 743 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:36,769 answer I think some of the things we do 744 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:40,130 know is that surfaces are very good but 745 00:35:45,009 --> 00:35:42,410 healthy in chemical reactions to occur 746 00:35:49,509 --> 00:35:45,019 lot so if I was to think of where I 747 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:49,519 would start light it would be you know 748 00:35:57,039 --> 00:35:55,249 on minimal surfaces either influence the 749 00:36:00,120 --> 00:35:57,049 thing it wouldn't be the first place I 750 00:36:02,709 --> 00:36:00,130 would think of looking at now 751 00:36:05,739 --> 00:36:02,719 you know life today 752 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:05,749 spores being moved around so a part of 753 00:36:11,109 --> 00:36:08,930 the biosphere but it's not my income to 754 00:36:13,959 --> 00:36:11,119 start looking for for the genesis of 755 00:36:17,499 --> 00:36:13,969 life Thank You Colin good question so 756 00:36:19,469 --> 00:36:17,509 hot next question is by Jacob hot misra 757 00:36:22,359 --> 00:36:19,479 who was asking you on Twitter as at 758 00:36:24,519 --> 00:36:22,369 atmósfera what do you think of the Gaia 759 00:36:29,180 --> 00:36:24,529 hypothesis is it scientifically useful 760 00:36:31,730 --> 00:36:29,190 or merely a poetic device so 761 00:36:35,260 --> 00:36:31,740 which makes them some James Lovelock who 762 00:36:39,290 --> 00:36:35,270 was actually my PhD advisor PhD advisor 763 00:36:42,109 --> 00:36:39,300 and that is to propose that life on 764 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:42,119 earth regulated the climate and 765 00:36:47,660 --> 00:36:44,130 chemistry of birth for Earth history 766 00:36:49,910 --> 00:36:47,670 that this isn't the four billion year of 767 00:36:51,349 --> 00:36:49,920 habitability hasn't happened by 768 00:36:54,579 --> 00:36:51,359 coincidence 769 00:36:57,740 --> 00:36:54,589 it happened because life has been 770 00:37:01,670 --> 00:36:57,750 dominating our our chemical and climate 771 00:37:05,150 --> 00:37:01,680 evolution and the way I think about now 772 00:37:07,809 --> 00:37:05,160 in Copiah as a name for Mars it's one of 773 00:37:10,910 --> 00:37:07,819 the names out by filling earth 774 00:37:16,730 --> 00:37:10,920 recognizing our inhabited planet as a 775 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:16,740 coherent entity so I would define me you 776 00:37:23,839 --> 00:37:20,450 Jacob the plants outside even the 777 00:37:29,839 --> 00:37:23,849 coronaviruses part of Gaia we're all 778 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:29,849 part of one global ecosystem where 779 00:37:36,890 --> 00:37:34,170 everything affects everything else so in 780 00:37:39,140 --> 00:37:36,900 that sense you know Gaia hypothesis has 781 00:37:40,940 --> 00:37:39,150 been fundamental to my thinking of 782 00:37:45,710 --> 00:37:40,950 thinking about the single planetary 783 00:37:50,030 --> 00:37:45,720 entity but there's a question of house 784 00:37:54,589 --> 00:37:50,040 has it has life controlled well yes it's 785 00:37:56,930 --> 00:37:54,599 controlled it regulated the evolution of 786 00:37:59,300 --> 00:37:56,940 our climate I don't know the answer now 787 00:38:02,510 --> 00:37:59,310 I think that for me one of the most 788 00:38:05,599 --> 00:38:02,520 fascinating open questions in Palestine 789 00:38:07,370 --> 00:38:05,609 volution yeah well regardless of whether 790 00:38:09,260 --> 00:38:07,380 the Gaia hypothesis is correct or not I 791 00:38:11,359 --> 00:38:09,270 think it has really pushed the 792 00:38:13,339 --> 00:38:11,369 scientific community forward in thinking 793 00:38:16,220 --> 00:38:13,349 at all your interconnections between 794 00:38:17,660 --> 00:38:16,230 life and the planet that lives on so and 795 00:38:21,109 --> 00:38:17,670 that did that sense I guess it's it's 796 00:38:23,540 --> 00:38:21,119 been a very useful the next question 797 00:38:26,450 --> 00:38:23,550 comes from Marian Denton who is asking 798 00:38:27,740 --> 00:38:26,460 on Twitter as at a stroll in no she's 799 00:38:31,690 --> 00:38:27,750 actually quoting one of your papers 800 00:38:38,020 --> 00:38:34,480 and she asks Colin can you please 801 00:38:40,089 --> 00:38:38,030 elaborate on quote existence of oxygenic 802 00:38:45,310 --> 00:38:40,099 photosynthesis is not sufficient 803 00:38:55,020 --> 00:38:45,320 condition for either atmosphere or based 804 00:38:55,030 --> 00:39:13,170 [Music] 805 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:17,470 atmosphere by the by spirits those it 806 00:39:23,349 --> 00:39:20,570 waste gases and oxygen being one of them 807 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:23,359 and then we looked at well how long will 808 00:39:29,890 --> 00:39:27,170 that oxygen survive and you know what in 809 00:39:33,490 --> 00:39:29,900 the archetype has been not they long but 810 00:39:34,930 --> 00:39:33,500 what did you level sleep are you getting 811 00:39:39,790 --> 00:39:34,940 enough oxygen 812 00:39:42,490 --> 00:39:39,800 the chemistry starts changing and if 813 00:39:45,670 --> 00:39:42,500 there's enough oxygen to start forming 814 00:39:49,660 --> 00:39:45,680 ozone so oxygen is the o2 molecule 815 00:39:51,220 --> 00:39:49,670 ozone o3 molecule and we understand 816 00:39:53,319 --> 00:39:51,230 those three formation by something 817 00:39:59,069 --> 00:39:53,329 called the Chapman cycle that chemistry 818 00:40:06,780 --> 00:40:02,290 again you need a big enough column of 819 00:40:10,359 --> 00:40:06,790 oxygen to start forming ozone and ozone 820 00:40:12,460 --> 00:40:10,369 layer it's a brilliant sunscreen and as 821 00:40:14,140 --> 00:40:12,470 well as healthy stopping of get 822 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:14,150 sunburned when we're allowed to go 823 00:40:20,020 --> 00:40:17,450 outside it also changes all the 824 00:40:22,720 --> 00:40:20,030 atmospheric chemistry slows down all the 825 00:40:25,510 --> 00:40:22,730 chemistry because UV is really important 826 00:40:27,180 --> 00:40:25,520 in doing that chemistry so once you know 827 00:40:31,329 --> 00:40:27,190 the ozone layer 828 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:31,339 it means the oxygen can build up and 829 00:40:38,170 --> 00:40:36,050 that's the great oxidation so we call it 830 00:40:40,750 --> 00:40:38,180 a bi stability because you can have two 831 00:40:42,970 --> 00:40:40,760 different stable States at low oxygen 832 00:40:45,940 --> 00:40:42,980 state without a bozo 833 00:40:50,530 --> 00:40:45,950 a higher oxygen state with an ozone 834 00:40:52,540 --> 00:40:50,540 layer tweak the parameters of that model 835 00:40:54,609 --> 00:40:52,550 if we believe the model back to them in 836 00:40:58,090 --> 00:40:54,619 their world we could keep going but 837 00:41:01,540 --> 00:40:58,100 quite a long time without an ozone layer 838 00:41:03,910 --> 00:41:01,550 and then without oxygen much more than a 839 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:03,920 part per million level and that would 840 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:06,650 make it really difficult to detect so 841 00:41:13,660 --> 00:41:10,210 that's the really big challenge in in 842 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:13,670 exoplanet astronomy is the idea that you 843 00:41:17,950 --> 00:41:15,530 could have a biosphere humming away 844 00:41:19,750 --> 00:41:17,960 producing oxygen but you wouldn't be 845 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:19,760 able to see the science make that would 846 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:24,170 be to dilute in the atmosphere Thank You 847 00:41:30,070 --> 00:41:26,930 Carly the next question is an excellent 848 00:41:31,870 --> 00:41:30,080 one by a burl wing on Facebook she asks 849 00:41:33,430 --> 00:41:31,880 a question that I would've asked you 850 00:41:34,630 --> 00:41:33,440 Colleen how did not come up so Thank You 851 00:41:37,420 --> 00:41:34,640 Admiral for asking it 852 00:41:39,190 --> 00:41:37,430 and she asks what are some tips you have 853 00:41:41,050 --> 00:41:39,200 for undergraduate students who are 854 00:41:43,270 --> 00:41:41,060 interested in going into astrobiology 855 00:41:45,420 --> 00:41:43,280 what should we do if there is no 856 00:41:49,570 --> 00:41:45,430 undergraduate program for astrobiology 857 00:41:51,820 --> 00:41:49,580 well there are antibodies every 858 00:41:52,690 --> 00:41:51,830 University back home chemistry they 859 00:41:55,859 --> 00:41:52,700 called physics 860 00:41:58,420 --> 00:41:55,869 they're called science they're called 861 00:42:00,090 --> 00:41:58,430 biology they're called microbiology 862 00:42:03,790 --> 00:42:00,100 they're called oceanography 863 00:42:07,150 --> 00:42:03,800 do some science because if I'm looking 864 00:42:09,820 --> 00:42:07,160 further advanced student I want to join 865 00:42:12,370 --> 00:42:09,830 my group better either I'm looking for 866 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:12,380 them having done a science degree where 867 00:42:16,660 --> 00:42:14,450 they got some of the Vela bird 868 00:42:19,750 --> 00:42:16,670 scientists have made that that's you 869 00:42:23,430 --> 00:42:19,760 know usually for people working migrants 870 00:42:26,050 --> 00:42:23,440 in our math you know some programming 871 00:42:27,849 --> 00:42:26,060 ideally some atmospheric science or some 872 00:42:31,210 --> 00:42:27,859 geology so do something you're 873 00:42:33,609 --> 00:42:31,220 passionate about light now and then get 874 00:42:35,140 --> 00:42:33,619 research experience you know it really 875 00:42:37,630 --> 00:42:35,150 doesn't matter what that research 876 00:42:39,790 --> 00:42:37,640 experience is in but I'd like to know 877 00:42:43,180 --> 00:42:39,800 that you can do something you can 878 00:42:45,970 --> 00:42:43,190 actually go and do research so see if 879 00:42:48,220 --> 00:42:45,980 you can do an honors project or get a 880 00:42:49,870 --> 00:42:48,230 summer research experience as an 881 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:49,880 undergraduate program I need one of 882 00:42:57,480 --> 00:42:51,770 those with Hole Oceanographic 883 00:43:03,130 --> 00:42:59,440 do be searched 884 00:43:04,510 --> 00:43:03,140 I will float for them yeah I agree what 885 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:04,520 makes you an astrobiologist is the 886 00:43:10,930 --> 00:43:07,210 questions you ask not the science you do 887 00:43:12,460 --> 00:43:10,940 so keep your mind open and pursue what 888 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:12,470 you love every illness it's the most 889 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:15,490 important part the next question is by 890 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:18,050 pretty.i Powell who asks on say Gannett 891 00:43:22,330 --> 00:43:20,210 what are the chances that a planet 892 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:22,340 hosting multicellular life could be 893 00:43:25,900 --> 00:43:23,450 lacking in oxygen 894 00:43:27,610 --> 00:43:25,910 what gases could be a replacement could 895 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:27,620 there be another mechanism similar to 896 00:43:47,620 --> 00:43:44,020 when you on the on the show one of the 897 00:43:52,060 --> 00:43:47,630 things I like working a plenary failed 898 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:52,070 since I got no idea and that's that's 899 00:43:58,390 --> 00:43:55,450 perfectly okay to say such things 900 00:44:01,060 --> 00:43:58,400 Christophe fun Cowan barek on say 901 00:44:02,650 --> 00:44:01,070 Gannett asks what would be your biggest 902 00:44:04,630 --> 00:44:02,660 dream come true in the field of 903 00:44:06,310 --> 00:44:04,640 astrobiology that is what do you hope 904 00:44:12,300 --> 00:44:06,320 will be discovered Lord and anything 905 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:12,310 else so I think the may I 906 00:44:18,940 --> 00:44:15,530 understanding what the population of 907 00:44:21,220 --> 00:44:18,950 Paris the atmospheres is so I think that 908 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:21,230 would be we need a big telescope where 909 00:44:27,970 --> 00:44:26,570 we can look at the atmosphere around a 910 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:27,980 lot of distant stars 911 00:44:35,590 --> 00:44:30,050 I'd like a population of at least a 912 00:44:37,330 --> 00:44:35,600 hundred different sized planets and be 913 00:44:40,060 --> 00:44:37,340 able to see that population because I 914 00:44:43,330 --> 00:44:40,070 think statistics of a population is 915 00:44:46,420 --> 00:44:43,340 gonna be the thing we will learn most 916 00:44:49,390 --> 00:44:46,430 long you know I heard stories from you 917 00:44:50,590 --> 00:44:49,400 know some of my some of my senior 918 00:44:52,780 --> 00:44:50,600 colleagues from when I was at NASA 919 00:44:54,930 --> 00:44:52,790 talking about what it was like when we 920 00:44:58,180 --> 00:44:54,940 were exploring the outer solar system 921 00:45:01,510 --> 00:44:58,190 and we found things that we never 922 00:45:03,430 --> 00:45:01,520 expected to find and you just and that 923 00:45:05,710 --> 00:45:03,440 exact same thing happened with the basic 924 00:45:08,349 --> 00:45:05,720 mission to complete her 925 00:45:12,010 --> 00:45:08,359 all thought Pluto would be really boring 926 00:45:16,839 --> 00:45:12,020 and no idea why their permission being 927 00:45:21,910 --> 00:45:16,849 fed to Pluto and then we get about 928 00:45:25,510 --> 00:45:21,920 geology gang going on on the on the on 929 00:45:31,210 --> 00:45:25,520 the surface they're shown the the images 930 00:45:33,250 --> 00:45:31,220 is absolutely amazing or boring then 931 00:45:34,750 --> 00:45:33,260 that same thing is gonna happen when we 932 00:45:38,740 --> 00:45:34,760 look at new things we're gonna find 933 00:45:41,500 --> 00:45:38,750 things we never imagined very well said 934 00:45:43,270 --> 00:45:41,510 color in a category worth the next 935 00:45:45,070 --> 00:45:43,280 question is by Tom Caruso and it's 936 00:45:46,930 --> 00:45:45,080 fairly long and there's not much 937 00:45:49,930 --> 00:45:46,940 punctuation so I'm gonna do my best 938 00:45:51,820 --> 00:45:49,940 Tom and hopefully we can capture it it 939 00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:51,830 seems earth became more likely to 940 00:45:56,740 --> 00:45:54,410 support that bit of the developments of 941 00:45:58,960 --> 00:45:56,750 advanced life as geological activity 942 00:46:02,410 --> 00:45:58,970 mellowed down and earth climate changed 943 00:46:04,390 --> 00:46:02,420 at one time icy moons and planets would 944 00:46:06,250 --> 00:46:04,400 have resembled water worlds at further 945 00:46:08,670 --> 00:46:06,260 distances from the Sun so if we try to 946 00:46:12,010 --> 00:46:08,680 model the early atmospheres of young 947 00:46:14,050 --> 00:46:12,020 warmer warmer water world's they are 948 00:46:16,329 --> 00:46:14,060 currently ice that are currently as 949 00:46:18,250 --> 00:46:16,339 ice-covered are there similar 950 00:46:21,010 --> 00:46:18,260 similarities or life-bearing 951 00:46:28,030 --> 00:46:21,020 possibilities between outer water worlds 952 00:46:31,079 --> 00:46:28,040 and younger earths in Arizona the idea 953 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:31,089 is that if we've got this idea that we 954 00:46:35,950 --> 00:46:33,890 that we need things to be just like just 955 00:46:39,609 --> 00:46:35,960 like earth it to have night life on 956 00:46:43,660 --> 00:46:39,619 earth you know that so I think that's a 957 00:46:46,060 --> 00:46:43,670 little bit it's a little bit focused on 958 00:46:48,310 --> 00:46:46,070 we know you know we know how thing does 959 00:46:51,460 --> 00:46:48,320 I think must be just like me and I 960 00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:51,470 disagree I think a lot of bulk anism 961 00:46:58,540 --> 00:46:54,650 actually puts a lot of in a special 962 00:47:01,960 --> 00:46:58,550 material into one each of the biosphere 963 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:01,970 you know it's a long chemical gradient 964 00:47:06,070 --> 00:47:04,130 in which life can exploit and you know 965 00:47:08,890 --> 00:47:06,080 actually one of the most volcanically 966 00:47:11,530 --> 00:47:08,900 active planets in the solar system not 967 00:47:13,190 --> 00:47:11,540 the most that I am onizuka nuts but 968 00:47:16,099 --> 00:47:13,200 we've got a lot of volcanism 969 00:47:19,250 --> 00:47:16,109 got help that's probably good for life I 970 00:47:22,309 --> 00:47:19,260 don't know whether it's essential but 971 00:47:26,950 --> 00:47:22,319 think about parallel between Earth's and 972 00:47:30,079 --> 00:47:26,960 down and some of those icy moons so 973 00:47:32,630 --> 00:47:30,089 we've just around a triple point of 974 00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:32,640 water and that the triple point is that 975 00:47:39,410 --> 00:47:34,890 the template compression condition where 976 00:47:42,650 --> 00:47:39,420 you can have liquid solid and gas of 977 00:47:47,500 --> 00:47:42,660 water vapor and then let go way out to 978 00:47:51,079 --> 00:47:47,510 Titan of moon of Saturn and it turns out 979 00:47:54,289 --> 00:47:51,089 the surface condition there and pretty 980 00:47:56,210 --> 00:47:54,299 near to the triple point of me saying 981 00:48:10,760 --> 00:47:56,220 the temperature pressure conditions 982 00:48:14,150 --> 00:48:10,770 where there can be liquid B be just the 983 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:14,160 same but with with me same instead say 984 00:48:18,530 --> 00:48:16,410 either you get clouds of methane baton 985 00:48:22,190 --> 00:48:18,540 at me saying that you look at different 986 00:48:24,829 --> 00:48:22,200 planets and you see just the same 987 00:48:26,510 --> 00:48:24,839 physics going on so I think that's one 988 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:26,520 of those really useful comparative 989 00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:28,650 planetology things that we can we can 990 00:48:35,120 --> 00:48:31,530 pick up what do you think in the solar 991 00:48:40,670 --> 00:48:35,130 system are most likely habitats for a 992 00:48:42,950 --> 00:48:40,680 biology oh that's a great question so I 993 00:48:47,109 --> 00:48:42,960 mean all of us of course but that answer 994 00:48:50,390 --> 00:48:47,119 is cheating we know everywhere on earth 995 00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:50,400 Titan I'm fascinated by where if there's 996 00:48:55,819 --> 00:48:53,490 anything completely different weird that 997 00:48:58,359 --> 00:48:55,829 that you know Title II that would be a 998 00:49:01,099 --> 00:48:58,369 great place to look it's something that 999 00:49:03,230 --> 00:49:01,109 any of the icy moons actually where 1000 00:49:05,240 --> 00:49:03,240 you've got some geology going on under 1001 00:49:08,030 --> 00:49:05,250 the ice one of the things that makes me 1002 00:49:10,849 --> 00:49:08,040 a little worried about some of the 1003 00:49:12,319 --> 00:49:10,859 explanation that it's gonna go a lot of 1004 00:49:14,870 --> 00:49:12,329 those icy moons putting instruments 1005 00:49:17,660 --> 00:49:14,880 light on them the risk of contamination 1006 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:17,670 I would probably love the way we look we 1007 00:49:21,980 --> 00:49:19,290 rather we waited another 1008 00:49:24,260 --> 00:49:21,990 hundred years or so into our five got 1009 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:24,270 better and we could actually understand 1010 00:49:31,700 --> 00:49:28,970 what there's life there so then I go to 1011 00:49:34,210 --> 00:49:31,710 icy moons and something totally 1012 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:34,220 different right cool 1013 00:49:41,210 --> 00:49:37,650 the next question is by gaurav elo who 1014 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:41,220 on Facebook asks does the atmosphere of 1015 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:43,530 a planet to determine or rather candid 1016 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:45,210 atmosphere of a planet determine the 1017 00:50:00,680 --> 00:49:49,850 presence of life yes absolutely so 1018 00:50:03,170 --> 00:50:00,690 there's a lot of it it's just too hot on 1019 00:50:05,810 --> 00:50:03,180 Venus for there to be life on the 1020 00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:05,820 surface you know it's not excluded that 1021 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:08,370 you could have like high up in the 1022 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:10,770 clouds but we've got enough we've got no 1023 00:50:15,860 --> 00:50:13,050 idea so there's something like that you 1024 00:50:18,500 --> 00:50:15,870 can get too hot you know that's a 1025 00:50:20,420 --> 00:50:18,510 problem if you get too cold it's gonna 1026 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:20,430 mean that life is going to just be 1027 00:50:24,770 --> 00:50:24,330 really really slow will it be over keep 1028 00:50:26,840 --> 00:50:24,780 going 1029 00:50:29,660 --> 00:50:26,850 could there be life on Mars we've got 1030 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:29,670 weather with the thin atmosphere it's 1031 00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:32,490 really cold we don't know so you need an 1032 00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:35,370 atmosphere where the atmosphere is 1033 00:50:42,950 --> 00:50:37,530 important is it determines the climate 1034 00:50:45,950 --> 00:50:42,960 and you know we think that we want a 1035 00:50:48,530 --> 00:50:45,960 medium age temperature a life as we know 1036 00:50:51,740 --> 00:50:48,540 it but then of course what about life if 1037 00:50:53,720 --> 00:50:51,750 we don't know it I was gonna ask you do 1038 00:50:57,290 --> 00:50:53,730 you think we could detect life as we 1039 00:51:01,730 --> 00:50:57,300 don't know it I think that would be a 1040 00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:01,740 test about imagination I think that the 1041 00:51:07,100 --> 00:51:03,530 idea of life detection by atmospheric 1042 00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:07,110 analysis is very general it's looking 1043 00:51:14,300 --> 00:51:09,690 for signs of disequilibrium in the 1044 00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:14,310 atmosphere and that shouldn't work so 1045 00:51:22,490 --> 00:51:17,610 long as life is working quicker than the 1046 00:51:24,950 --> 00:51:22,500 photochemistry and that lovably is 1047 00:51:27,740 --> 00:51:24,960 required for life so I think using that 1048 00:51:29,750 --> 00:51:27,750 my general toll of analyzing the whole 1049 00:51:32,359 --> 00:51:29,760 atmosphere and then trying to understand 1050 00:51:34,430 --> 00:51:32,369 it without best 1051 00:51:37,010 --> 00:51:34,440 yeah I think I agree that chemical 1052 00:51:40,460 --> 00:51:37,020 disequilibrium is probably a universal 1053 00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:40,470 sign of something weird happening on 1054 00:51:49,250 --> 00:51:42,210 that planet where that's something weird 1055 00:51:51,910 --> 00:51:49,260 could possibly be life chemical 1056 00:51:55,310 --> 00:51:51,920 disequilibrium really is a mark of 1057 00:51:58,250 --> 00:51:55,320 photosynthesis it's a marker of life 1058 00:52:01,220 --> 00:51:58,260 using energy from the Sun or from the 1059 00:52:04,130 --> 00:52:01,230 planet star and then it creates that 1060 00:52:06,800 --> 00:52:04,140 disequilibrium with that free energy 1061 00:52:09,770 --> 00:52:06,810 that it getting Thunder the Sun so we 1062 00:52:11,390 --> 00:52:09,780 think about very early Earth before we 1063 00:52:13,099 --> 00:52:11,400 had photosynthesis 1064 00:52:15,349 --> 00:52:13,109 well now the biosphere that was 1065 00:52:18,290 --> 00:52:15,359 diffusing the chemical gradient in the 1066 00:52:22,130 --> 00:52:18,300 environment their life would reduce the 1067 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:22,140 amount of disequilibrium so there's 1068 00:52:29,900 --> 00:52:25,890 probably no way of finding a planet 1069 00:52:35,540 --> 00:52:29,910 where there isn't photosynthesis ah 1070 00:52:39,470 --> 00:52:35,550 that's provocative our next question is 1071 00:52:42,859 --> 00:52:39,480 by Patti Hernandez on Facebook who asks 1072 00:52:45,349 --> 00:52:42,869 white Mike planets circling and dwarfs 1073 00:52:50,480 --> 00:52:45,359 be good locations to search for the 1074 00:52:54,349 --> 00:52:50,490 evidence of life mmm it's um that's 1075 00:52:58,970 --> 00:52:54,359 called a red dwarf star it's smaller and 1076 00:53:00,650 --> 00:52:58,980 less light of the Sun which was to be 1077 00:53:05,030 --> 00:53:00,660 kind of the same temperature of Earth 1078 00:53:09,079 --> 00:53:05,040 would have to be orbiting much closer to 1079 00:53:11,720 --> 00:53:09,089 that star and probably so close that it 1080 00:53:14,089 --> 00:53:11,730 would always the same side of the planet 1081 00:53:16,670 --> 00:53:14,099 would always be facing the star like the 1082 00:53:20,690 --> 00:53:16,680 same side of the Moon always faces the 1083 00:53:24,050 --> 00:53:20,700 earth now what the advantage of that is 1084 00:53:26,780 --> 00:53:24,060 or as rebellious because the planet is 1085 00:53:30,770 --> 00:53:26,790 near to the star is very easy to observe 1086 00:53:32,930 --> 00:53:30,780 we can observe it as it goes in front of 1087 00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:32,940 the star what we call it found it and 1088 00:53:39,140 --> 00:53:37,050 then we can see we can measure that the 1089 00:53:41,390 --> 00:53:39,150 sun's bathe the starways 1090 00:53:43,730 --> 00:53:41,400 that have gone through the atmosphere 1091 00:53:44,810 --> 00:53:43,740 and how they changed as they've gone 1092 00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:44,820 through the ass 1093 00:53:52,330 --> 00:53:49,290 that's all transit spectroscopy so I'd 1094 00:53:54,680 --> 00:53:52,340 say the good reason to look at um 1095 00:53:56,600 --> 00:53:54,690 planets around end dwarfs is because 1096 00:53:59,390 --> 00:53:56,610 they're really easy to look at and then 1097 00:54:01,850 --> 00:53:59,400 whether we're not is the James Webb 1098 00:54:06,560 --> 00:54:01,860 Space Telescope ever launched earth is 1099 00:54:08,240 --> 00:54:06,570 going to be the best instrument the only 1100 00:54:11,780 --> 00:54:08,250 thing we should be using joke the James 1101 00:54:14,270 --> 00:54:11,790 Webb for is looking at the mound n star 1102 00:54:16,310 --> 00:54:14,280 and then we can start to build up a bit 1103 00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:16,320 of a sense of what the population of 1104 00:54:22,400 --> 00:54:20,490 their atmosphere is like this this T's 1105 00:54:26,090 --> 00:54:22,410 are free well the next question by 1106 00:54:28,220 --> 00:54:26,100 pretty ipod on sega net who asks how do 1107 00:54:31,280 --> 00:54:28,230 we detect the composition of atmospheres 1108 00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:31,290 on planets far away is spectroscopy the 1109 00:54:41,470 --> 00:54:36,890 only way with present technology 1110 00:54:46,010 --> 00:54:41,480 absolutely the only way so that is 1111 00:54:48,830 --> 00:54:46,020 looking at what wavelengths of light get 1112 00:54:52,490 --> 00:54:48,840 absorbed in the atmosphere so we know 1113 00:54:55,970 --> 00:54:52,500 what that we know how much beat 1114 00:54:59,120 --> 00:54:55,980 wavelength of light the a star is going 1115 00:55:01,490 --> 00:54:59,130 to admit and then if we let that light 1116 00:55:03,920 --> 00:55:01,500 come through a planetary atmosphere so 1117 00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:03,930 when they're in dwarf planet for example 1118 00:55:08,570 --> 00:55:07,170 it going in front a bit star we look at 1119 00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:08,580 the light that comes through the 1120 00:55:12,530 --> 00:55:10,650 atmosphere there and we look at that 1121 00:55:15,290 --> 00:55:12,540 with our telescope we can see what's 1122 00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:15,300 missing and it's a little bit like you 1123 00:55:20,690 --> 00:55:17,610 know reading a barcode there's different 1124 00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:20,700 lines that day for gases will absorb and 1125 00:55:25,790 --> 00:55:22,290 they'll be able to tell us which gas are 1126 00:55:29,210 --> 00:55:25,800 the back so that is absolutely out top 1127 00:55:30,560 --> 00:55:29,220 tool cool cool I'm so we're really 1128 00:55:32,480 --> 00:55:30,570 running out of time Colin which is 1129 00:55:35,390 --> 00:55:32,490 really a disappointing so I'm gonna give 1130 00:55:38,480 --> 00:55:35,400 Graham the last question here and he 1131 00:55:40,700 --> 00:55:38,490 asks a very good question Thank You 1132 00:55:43,010 --> 00:55:40,710 Graham for asking it given the current 1133 00:55:44,990 --> 00:55:43,020 state of world affairs are there any 1134 00:55:47,630 --> 00:55:45,000 positive messages you perceive from the 1135 00:55:49,310 --> 00:55:47,640 realm of astrobiology that may help our 1136 00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:49,320 communities across the globe weather the 1137 00:55:53,170 --> 00:55:51,290 storm 1138 00:55:55,570 --> 00:55:53,180 I think one of the important things that 1139 00:55:58,510 --> 00:55:55,580 we get sense master marginal or 1140 00:56:01,180 --> 00:55:58,520 callously sign that even deep Tiber five 1141 00:56:04,930 --> 00:56:01,190 in a sense of time and a sense of 1142 00:56:07,480 --> 00:56:04,940 perspective you know where humans are 1143 00:56:11,020 --> 00:56:07,490 part of the biosphere we're not 1144 00:56:14,710 --> 00:56:11,030 something sexist of nature we're part of 1145 00:56:17,740 --> 00:56:14,720 it and we're actually very smart you 1146 00:56:20,020 --> 00:56:17,750 know we can think about what we need to 1147 00:56:22,900 --> 00:56:20,030 do you know and leave a challenging 1148 00:56:25,660 --> 00:56:22,910 times to make ourselves and our families 1149 00:56:27,910 --> 00:56:25,670 and our communities safer but also as we 1150 00:56:29,140 --> 00:56:27,920 move forward and we we take this entity 1151 00:56:32,410 --> 00:56:29,150 we take what we've learned about 1152 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:32,420 communal action and apply that to the 1153 00:56:37,510 --> 00:56:35,330 climate change biodiversity loss we can 1154 00:56:39,460 --> 00:56:37,520 do those things we can do that communal 1155 00:56:42,580 --> 00:56:39,470 action and I think the sense of 1156 00:56:47,670 --> 00:56:42,590 perspective that we care for looking at 1157 00:56:51,310 --> 00:56:47,680 the other planets is something that that 1158 00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:51,320 we can all take board and one great 1159 00:56:54,970 --> 00:56:53,090 thing we can do it anybody's got a pair 1160 00:56:56,740 --> 00:56:54,980 of binoculars at home if you look at 1161 00:56:58,630 --> 00:56:56,750 look at the moon tonight and the 1162 00:57:00,190 --> 00:56:58,640 beautiful pleasant moon look at that 1163 00:57:03,040 --> 00:57:00,200 with your binoculars and you can see the 1164 00:57:06,070 --> 00:57:03,050 beautiful relief on the exciters of the 1165 00:57:11,410 --> 00:57:06,080 moon near the Terminator so you can look 1166 00:57:12,610 --> 00:57:11,420 at another planet tonight so do that get 1167 00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:12,620 that little bit of a sense of 1168 00:57:18,160 --> 00:57:15,530 perspective and then channel that energy 1169 00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:18,170 into communal action to make us all 1170 00:57:23,200 --> 00:57:21,050 safer I couldn't think of a better way 1171 00:57:25,660 --> 00:57:23,210 to end this episode Colin it's been an 1172 00:57:27,220 --> 00:57:25,670 absolute wonderful conversation thank 1173 00:57:31,090 --> 00:57:27,230 you so much for taking the time to chat 1174 00:57:33,190 --> 00:57:31,100 with us today for those of you are 1175 00:57:35,440 --> 00:57:33,200 watching thank you for sticking around 1176 00:57:37,330 --> 00:57:35,450 and we really look forward to a use 1177 00:57:39,430 --> 00:57:37,340 being with us next month 1178 00:57:43,150 --> 00:57:39,440 keep in mind that NASA has a bunch of 1179 00:57:46,000 --> 00:57:43,160 tools provided for educational materials 1180 00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:46,010 and activities and other fun videos for 1181 00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:48,890 folks of all ages while you are stuck at 1182 00:57:51,310 --> 00:57:50,570 home and the website for that is 1183 00:57:55,210 --> 00:57:51,320 science.nasa.gov 1184 00:57:58,570 --> 00:57:55,220 slash get that involved slash NASA at 1185 00:57:59,860 --> 00:57:58,580 home in one word so folks wonderful to 1186 00:58:01,510 --> 00:57:59,870 have you on the show thank you so much 1187 00:58:03,460 --> 00:58:01,520 for tuning in please continue to be 1188 00:58:04,370 --> 00:58:03,470 active on social media helping us spread 1189 00:58:07,279 --> 00:58:04,380 the word about our 1190 00:58:08,740 --> 00:58:07,289 and until then stay curious we'll see 1191 00:58:49,349 --> 00:58:08,750 you soon